Cranachan

[FickityTwists]

There are many variations and names of this recipe such as Cream Crowdie.

Ingredients:
3 oz (half cup) pinhead or coarse oatmeal
Half pint double cream
1 tablespoon Drambuie (optional)

Method:
Toast the oatmeal in a frying pan on a high heat until lightly brown. Whisk the cream into a soft consistency and mix in the oatmeal and Drambuie (alternatively, use a few drops vanilla essence or other flavouring of your choice). Serve in tall glasses. A popular variation is to mix in 6oz (one and a half cups) of fresh raspberries. Or use vanilla ice cream instead of cream.

To make it more sinful:

Cranachan:
One pound (500 g) fresh raspberries/or blackberries
Half pint of fresh double cream
1 tsp of thick heather honey
1 generous tbsp of Talisker whisky
1 heaped tbsp of toasted oatmeal

Shortbread:
12 ounces (375g/3 cups) plain flour
4 ounces (125g/1 cup) white rice flour
12 ounces (375g or 3 sticks) slightly salted Scottish butter
4 ounces (125g or half cup scant) caster sugar (or fine granulated sugar)

Method:
Cranachan: Whisk the cream together with the honey and Talisker. Fold in the toasted oatmeal. Pile on top of fresh raspberries and serve with shortbread biscuits.

Shortbread :Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Work the sifted flour and rice flour into the creamed mixture until it forms a firm paste. Knead it lightly on a well floured board.
Roll it out until quite thin and cut biscuit shapes with the cutter of your choice. Using a palette knife, lift the biscuits onto a well buttered baking sheet.
Bake on the centre shelf at Gas Mark 5/375F/190C until pale golden in colour. Remove from the oven and sprinkle liberally with caster (fine granulated) sugar while still warm.
Lift on to wire tray to cool and firm-up.